Man Arrested For Filming Teenager In Mall Changing Room Was Serial Offender

A man arrested recently for trying to record a teenager getting undressed inside a dressing room in a Virginia mall likely filmed over 60 women at several popular malls, Fairfax County Police said Thursday.

Police arrested Mumtaz Rauf, 39, from Alexandria, Virginia, on Dec. 24 after a teenager who was using the dressing room of a Forever 21 store at Fairfax County Mall, noticed an unusual black device fixed inside the room. The girl immediately reported the incident to mall employees, who called the police. Upon arrival, police found Rauf inside the dressing room of an H&M store in the mall.

When searched, police found a pinhole camera, a black tape and a Bluetooth wireless device with him, which they believe were used by him to film women. He was charged with unlawful filming of a minor and was currently in jail pending trial.

After the arrest, police searched his cell phone and found several videos of women getting undressed in dressing rooms of several malls in the area including Fair Oaks Mall, Fair Lakes Mall and Tysons Corner Center. They also searched his home and seized several laptops, thumb drives and many other electronic devices. Police said the man shot the videos using the hidden camera between Dec. 15 and Dec. 24. He had not posted any of the videos online, the Washington Post reported.

Police said the victims could be from various parts of the state or from many other states as well. They sought the help of the public to help identify the victims to expedite the investigation process. Police also shared the hotline number (703-246-4600) to lodge complaints.

In a press conference Thursday, Major Ed O’Carroll, commander of the Major Crimes Bureau, dubbed the crime as heinous and said it was "a massive case. This young lady, on Christmas Eve, saw something that didn't seem right and took the right step.”

The accused was working as a bartender at Hummingbird bar in Alexandria, Virginia.